


Rum Butter

by neveralarch



Category: Inspector Rebus - Ian Rankin
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 22:05:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17149916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neveralarch/pseuds/neveralarch
Summary: John makes pudding.





	Rum Butter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bravofiftyone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravofiftyone/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, bravofiftyone!

"When you asked if you could come over early," said Deborah, "I was hoping it was for something a little more... romantic."

"My kitchen's not big enough," said Rebus. "And we can canoodle after Siobhan's party, if you like."

"Hmm." Deborah watched as Rebus added the flour into his mixture, followed by the dates. He whisked it together, then started to pour it into a pan. "No, no stop that."

"What?" Rebus didn't stop.

Deborah pushed the mixing bowl back up, stopping the flow of batter. "It's not combined, you still have lumps."

"It looks fine," said Rebus. "Just like my mum made it."

Deborah raised an eyebrow. "Did your mum have lumps of raw flour in her toffee pudding?"

Rebus made an aggrieved face.

"Keep stirring," said Deborah. "I'll tell you when to stop."

When the pudding was finally stirred to Deborah's satisfaction and cooking away in the oven, Rebus started on the butter rum sauce. It was simple. Butter, vanilla, brown sugar, cream, rum...

"That's an awful lot of rum," observed Deborah.

"It's a butter _rum_ sauce," explained Rebus.

"You've put half the bottle in there," said Deborah.

"Just like my mum made it," said Rebus. "Half for the sauce, half for the baker."

"I see, it's genetic." Deborah stole the bottle and took a shot of the rich, dark rum. "I hope Siobhan likes it."

"She will," Rebus turned off the sauce and took the bottle back. "Now, the pudding still has ten minutes, if you'd like to get some of that canoodling in?"

\---

They were late to Siobhan's party, but it didn't seem to matter. Siobhan was flushed and smiling when she opened the door, and she hugged both Deborah and Rebus with only a little awkwardness. Rebus held out the basket containing the toffee pudding.

"Oh, Deborah, you shouldn't have," said Siobhan.

"You can't blame this on me." Deborah laughed. "John made it all himself."

Siobhan's gaze turned suspicious.

"It's fine," said Rebus. "It's delicious. I thought you might like to try some real Christmas pudding."

"We have Christmas pudding in England," said Siobhan.

"Not like this," said Rebus. "It's authentic."

Deborah laughed again and went to join the party.

Siobhan looked at the basket, still suspicious. "I'm trying this before I put it out for public consumption."

"I'm not going to poison your friends," said Rebus, but he followed Siobhan through the party, past her young happy friends, and into her kitchen. He waited while Siobhan located a fork and took a small bite.

She choked. Then gasped. Then dabbed at her watering eyes.

"What do you think, then?"

"That's a lot of alcohol, John."

"It's _authentic_."

"It's probably flammable." Siobhan took another bite. Then another. "I'll have to warn Malcolm."

Rebus shrugged. "Do you have another fork?"

They ate the whole thing, standing there in the kitchen. Siobhan had to dig a box of tissues out to wipe up her running mascara, but she loved it. John could tell.


End file.
